CHAPTER XXVIII.

COMMERCE AND COMMUNICATION.

1852-1885.

COMMON ROADWAYS-RAILROADS THE UNION AND CENTRAL PACIFIC THE UTAH CENTRAL THE UTAH SOUTHERN-THE UTAH And Northern— THE UTAH EASTERN-THE SALT LAKE AND WESTERN-THE UTAH AND NEVADA-THE DENVER AND RIO GRANDE WESTERN-IMPORTS AND EXPORTS-COMMERCE AND TRADE-BANKING-INSURANCE-TAXATION AND REVENUE-MAILS AND MAIL SERVICES-THE FIRST TELEGRAPHIC MESSAGE-THE DESERET TELEGRAPH COMPANY.

IN 1860 the principal route from the Missouri to Utah was still the old emigrant-road which had been mainly used during the Utah and California migrations, and which was traversed by the army of Utah in 1857. Between Utah and California there were three principal lines of travel-the northern, the central, and the southern. The first skirted the upper edge of Great Salt Lake, and thence after crossing an intervening stretch of desert followed the valleys of the Humboldt and Carson rivers, being, in fact, almost identical with the Frémont route of 1845. Notwithstanding its length, it was still preferred by travellers, as pasture and water were fairly plentiful, and only two small tracts of desert land were met with.1 The central, better known to the settlers of Utah by the name of Egan's and to the Californiabound emigrants as the Simpson route, though the two were by no means coincident, varied but a few miles from the fortieth parallel until reaching the

1 For descriptions of this route, see Horn's Overl. Guide; Kelly's Excurs. to Cal., Remy's Jour. to G. S. L. City, passim.

Hastings pass in the Humboldt Mountains, where it branched off in a south-westerly direction toward Carson lake and river, and from Carson City south to Genoa. The southern route was by way of the Sevier, Santa Clara, and Vírgen rivers, striking the Frémont trail near Las Vegas, thence partly across desert tracts to the junction of Indian River and the Colorado, and from that point to San Bernardino.3 On neither of the last two were grass and water abundant, but the southern route had the advantage of being rarely blocked with snow, except for the portion of it that lay between Salt Lake and the Rio Vírgen.

At the close of 1883 there were more than 3,000 miles of common roadway in Utah,* and 1,143 miles

2 In 1859 J. H. Simpson of the topographical engineers received instructions from Gen. Johnson to explore the great basin, with a view to find a direct wagon route from Camp Floyd to Genoa, in Carson Valley. An account of the expedition will be found in his Rept Explor. Gt Basin. For about 300 miles his route was identical with Egan's, except for a few unimportant deviations; but soon after reaching Ruby Valley it tended more toward the south. Egan's line was preferred, however, as on the one taken by Simpson grass and water were scarce. Howard Egan, a major in the Nauvoo legion, and a well-known guide and mountaineer, was for some years engaged in driving stock to Cal. in the service of Livingston & Kinkead, and afterward became a mail agent. Burton's City of the Saints, 550. See, for an account of the explorations of E. F. Beales between Fort Defiance and the Colorado, and F. W. Lander between Green and Bear rivers in 1857, Warren's mem. in Pac. R. R. Rept, xi. 91; for remarks on the advantages of different routes, Wheeler's Surveys, Progress Rept, 1872, 33-6; for J. W. Powell's exploring and surveying expeditions, Appleton's Jour., xi.; Smithsonian Rept, 1877, 67-82; for further matters relating to government roads, House Ex. Doc., 34th Cong. 1st Sess., i., pt 2, 504-7; 35th Cong. 2d Sess., ii., pt 2, 12, 149-51, 202-6, pt. 3, 1300-3; 36th Cong. 1st Sess., Mess and Doc., pt 2, 13-15, 131-2, 194-5, 200-4, 221-30; House Rept, 34th Cong. 1st Sess., i. 185; Sen. Doc., 35th Cong. 2d Sess., nos. 39, 40. Appropriations were made at various dates for the building and repair of bridges, for which see Utah Jour. Legisl. and Utah Laws, passim. In 1882 the sum of $5,000 was appropriated toward building a bridge across the Weber at Riverdale, and $1,000 for a bridge across the Provo at Provo City. For description of Provo cañon bridge in 1858, see Deseret News, Oct. 13, 1858; for condition of bridges and roads in 1859, Id., July 6, 1859.

3 Portions of this route were traversed by Chandless and Remy, by whom it is described in their respective works.

For reports of commissioners, appropriations, work done, condition, and other matters relating to local roads, see Utah Acts, 1855-6, 44-6; Utah Jour. Legisl., 1859-60, 96-8; 1860-1, 58-9, 113-14, 149, 165, 168; 1861-2, 59, 70, 73, 104, 116-17, 121, 132, 144; 1862-3, 29-30, 45, 51, 63; 1863-4, 54–5, 85, 108, 131-2; 1864-5, 53-6, 73, 140-1; 1865-6, 20-3, 29, 53, 70-1, 102, 122, 156-7; 1866-7, 20, 23-5, 28-9, 61-3, 66; 1868, 21-2, 25, 44-6, 75-6, 92, 116-18, 129; 1869, 20-1, 23-4, 55-6, 71-2, 79-80, 82-3, 88, 93-4, 102, 112,

of railroad, of which 297 belonged to the Union Pacific, 150 to the Central Pacific, 386 to the Denver and Rio Grande, 280 to the Utah Central, and 30 to the Sanpete Valley.

6

In 1854, as we have seen, a memorial was addressed to congress by the territorial legislature, urging the construction of an overland railroad. In 1860 a second memorial was presented, to the same purport, and though neither of them was regarded, none rejoiced more heartily over the advent of the railroad than did the settlers of Utah. They felt now strong enough to have let in on them the advancing tide of civilization without being swept away by it. Brigham had long foreseen that the railroad would bring with it a new and manifest destiny to his people. Being himself a man of destiny, he quickly adapted himself to the altered condition of affairs, and declared that he believed in it. As all Utah believed in Brigham, it followed that his people would do their utmost to help it to completion. They were for the most part too poor to subscribe money, but whatever of aid or material their land and labor could supply was cheerfully furnished.

In May 1868 a contract was made between Brig

172; 1870, 63-4, 79, 84-8, 108, 118; 1876, 29-30; Utah Laws, 1878, 57; 1882, 102-4; Deseret News, Nov. 23, 1859, Jan. 22, 1862; Rae's Westward by Rail, 99.

In 1860 there was a weekly stage to S. L. City, conducted by Russell & Waddell, who during the same year started a pony express. In 1861 they were bought out by Ben Holliday, and in that or the following year a daily line was established to S. L. City. In 1866 Wells, Fargo, & Co. purchased Holliday's interest, believing that the railroad would not be completed for six or seven years. They lost by the transaction, among their purchases being $70,000 worth of new coaches which they never used, and afterward sold to Gilmer & Salisbury for one fourth of the cost. John T. Gilmer commenced staging in 1859 under Russell & Waddell. In 1864 he was appointed division agent at Bitter Creek by Ben Holliday. About 1876 he began mining in the Black Hills, Utah, and afterward in Nev., Id., Ariz., and Čal. He was also connected with the Stewart mine in Bingham cañon, and others. In 1884 he was conducting a staging business in Utah, Id., Ariz., and Cal. Gilmer's Mails and Staging in Utah, MS. Descriptions of stage-coach travel in Utah in the years before the opening of the railroad will be found in almost every book that treats of Mormonism up to that time. Among others, see Burton's City of the Saints; Remy's Jour. to G. S. L. City; Chandler's Visit to S. Lake; Bowles' Across the Continent; Dilke's Greater Britain; Greeley's Overl. Jour. See Utah Acts, 1858-9, 37-8; House Misc. Doc., 36th Cong. 2d Sess., 34.

HIST. UTAH. 48

ham and a superintendent of construction on the Union Pacific, for grading and other work on the road between the head of Echo cañon and the terminus of the line, yet to be located. At Weber cañon, through which point it entered the valley, there was much tunnelling, blasting, and mason-work to be done, including the heavy stone-work of the bridge abutments. The contract amounted to about $1,000,000, gave employment to 500 or 600 men, and, according to its terms, eighty per cent of the payments were to be made monthly as the work progressed, and the remainder when it was completed and accepted. As soon as the contract was closed, the superintendent urged that the work be commenced immediately, promising that if men and teams were collected he would have the line surveyed and made ready for them within a few days. On this understanding, workmen were concentrated at various points on the line, but weeks passed, and still the line was not surveyed. Many of the sub-contractors were thus compelled to wait until the cost of their operations was largely increased by the severity of the weather, and to incur debt from bankers, merchants, and farmers, who supplied them with funds, goods, grain, and material, thinking that the money due from the promoters of the Union Pacific would be promptly paid; but the payments were not made as specified.

Notwithstanding these drawbacks, the contracts were faithfully executed, and it was acknowledged by all railroad men that nowhere on the line could the grading compare in completeness and finish with the work done by the people of Utah. Before the last tie was laid, all the contracts with the Union and

8

'Particulars will be found in the Deseret News, May 27, 1868. See also S. F. Call, May 22, 1868; S. F. Times, May 22, 1868. At this date it was yet uncertain where the junction between the U. P. and C. P. R. R. would be located. For act to fix the point of junction, see House Ex. Doc., 46th Cong. 3d Sess., 973.

8 For celebration at S. L. City on the completion of the railroad, see Deseret News, May 12, 1866. On March 8th a railroad celebration was held at Ogden, an account of which is given in Id., March 8, 1869; Tullidge's Mag., i. 476–7.

UNION AND CENTRAL PACIFIC.

755

Central Pacific, including forty miles of road between Ogden and the promontory, had been completed and accepted; but on the 10th of May, 1869, it was claimed by the saints that the former company was indebted to them in the sum of $1,000,000, and the two companies about $1,250,000. Toward the close of the year John Taylor, Joseph A. Young, and John Sharp went eastward, with a view to bringing the

In 1868 Gen. Connor built and launched a small steamer, named the Kate Connor, for carrying railroad ties and telegraph poles from the southern to the northern shore of the G. S. Lake. Res. and Attract. of Utah, 63. The ties were for the Union Pacific. This appears to have been the first steamer that navigated the lake, though in the S. F. Bulletin, July 29, 1856, it is stated that there was one at that date. In 1869 an excursion steamer was built, and in 1870 a boat costing $45,000, first named the City of Corinne and then the General Garfield. In 1879 the latter was still used mainly for excursions, as there was little freight to be had. At this date there was a considerable yachting fleet on the lake, the first, and for some years the only yacht, being built by the Walker Bros. For description of excursions on G. S. Lake in 1879, see Marshall's Through Amer., 191; for navigation on the Colorado in 1865, Austin Reese River Reveillé, June 27, 1865; in 1873, Prescott Miner, Jan. 18, 1873.

Bishop Sharp, known in Utah also as the railroad bishop, was born in 1820 at the Devon iron-works, Scotland, and when eight years of age went to work in a coal-pit. In 1847, being then a coal-miner in Clackmannanshire, he was converted to Mormonism, and the following year sailed for New Orleans with his two brothers, who had also joined the faith. They reached S. L. City in 1850. Here Sharp was first employed in quarrying stone for the tabernacle and tithing-office, and was soon afterward made superintendent of the quarry. In 1854 he was ordained a bishop, and ten years later was appointed assistant superintendent of public works. When the contract was made with the Union Pacific by Brigham, as above mentioned, Sharp was one of the principal sub-contractors. In 1871 he became superintendent of the Utah Central, and in 1873 president, having previously been elected vicepresident of the Utah Southern. While employed as purchasing agent for the latter company in the eastern states, he became associated with the directors of the Union Pacific, by whom he was afterward elected a member of the board. Among those who were awarded contracts by the Central Pacific was Lorin Farr, who, with Benson and West as partners, graded 200 miles of the road, Aaron F. Farr being employed as superintendent. Lorin Farr also took an active part in the building of the Utah Central and Utah Northern, of which more later, and was one of the prime movers in bringing the Denver and Rio Grande into Ogden. In 1868 he built the Ogden woollen-mills in conjunction with Randall Pugsley and Neil, and for 20 years was mayor of that city. Aaron F. Farr was for six years probate judge of Weber co., and was elected a member of the Utah legislature.

In connection with the Central Pacific may be mentioned the name of James Forbes, their agent at Ogden between 1869 and 1884, and in connection with the Union Pacific, A. G. Fell, at the latter date superintendent of division in the same city. Forbes, a native of Conn., came to Cal. when 16 years of age, and after being engaged in mining for several years, was appointed agent for the C. P. R. R. at Elko, Nev., soon after the line was opened, removing thence to Utah a few months later. Fell, a native of Ontario, Can., and in 1867 employed in the train-despatcher's office at Montreal, also removed to Utah in 1867.

Joshua R. Nichols, appointed assist super. U. P. R. R. in July 1869, says